This invention relates to a control apparatus and a method therefor, an information processing apparatus and a method therefor, and a medium, and more particularly to a control apparatus and a method therefor, an information processing apparatus and a method therefor, and a medium which can easily and securely control plural robot units.
The applicant of this application has proposed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 335091/1996 publication, a system in which plural sounds of predetermined sound names of sound names referred to as C, D, A . . . are combined to control, e.g., robot apparatus (unit), etc. with the combination (chord) thereof being as one word or sentence.
While, in the previously mentioned proposal, the robot unit can be controlled by sound, there has not yet been provided technology to individually control, in such cases that plural robot units exist, those units when viewed including the previously mentioned proposal.
This invention has been made in such circumstances as described above, and contemplates easily and securely controlling plural robot apparatuses (units).
In more practical sense, a control apparatus according to this invention comprises selector means for selecting a predetermined controlled unit from plural controlled units, input means for inputting combination of plural sounds different in frequency for controlling controlled units, memory means for storing sound pitch information corresponding to the plural controlled units, and generating means for generating sound of combination inputted by the input means of sound pitch corresponding to the controlled unit selected by the selector means. The controlled unit may be robot unit. Moreover, combination of sounds (voices) may be combination of sounds of predetermined sound names within one octave.
Further, a control method according to this invention includes a selection step of selecting a predetermined controlled unit from plural controlled units, an input step of inputting combination of plural sounds different in frequency for controlling controlled units, a memory step of storing sound pitch information corresponding to plural controlled units, and a generation step of generating sound of combination inputted by processing of the input step of sound pitch corresponding to the controlled unit selected by processing of the selection step.
In addition, a medium according to this invention is adapted so that there is recorded program including a selection step of selecting a predetermined controlled unit from plural controlled units, an input step of inputting combination of plural sounds different in frequency for controlling controlled units, a memory step of storing sound pitch information corresponding to plural controlled units, and a generation step of generating sound of combination inputted by processing of the input step of sound pitch corresponding to the controlled unit selected by processing of the selection step.
In the control apparatus, the control method and the medium which have been described above, inputted combined sound of sound pitch corresponding to selected controlled unit is generated.
Moreover, an information processing apparatus according to this invention comprises sound detecting means for detecting sound, sound pitch detecting means for detecting sound pitch of the sound detected by the sound detecting means, combination detecting means for detecting combination of plural sounds different in frequency of sound detected by he sound detecting means, determining means for determining corresponding to detection results of the sound pitch detecting means and the combination detecting means, and execution means for executing processing corresponding to command by the determining means. The information processing apparatus may be robot unit. Further, combination of sounds (voices) may be combination of sounds of a predetermined sound name withing one octave.
Further, an information processing method according to this invention includes a sound detection step of detecting sound, a sound pitch detecting of detecting sound pitch of the sound detected by processing of the sound detection step, a combination detection step of detecting combination of plural sounds different in frequency of the sound detected by processing of the sound detection step, a determination step of determining command corresponding to detection results at the sound pitch detection step and the combination detection step, and an execution step of executing processing corresponding to the command determined by processing of the determination step.
Further, a medium according to this invention is adapted so that there is recorded program including a sound detection step of detecting sound, a sound pitch detection step of detecting sound pitch of the sound detected by processing of the sound detection step, a combination detection step of detecting combination of plural sounds different in frequency of the sound detected by processing of the sound detection step, a determination step of determining command corresponding to detection results at the sound pitch detection step and the combination detection step, and an execution step of executing processing corresponding to the command determined by processing of the determination step.
In the above-described information processing apparatus, information processing method and medium, command corresponding detected sound pitch and combination of sounds is determined. Thus, processing corresponding to the determined command is executed.
In addition, control apparatus according to this invention is directed to a control apparatus adapted for controlling controlled unit controlled on the basis of combined sounds, and comprises input means supplied with a signal, converting means for converting an input signal inputted to the input means into combined sound caused to correspond thereto, and sound output means for outputting combined sounds that the converting means has converted. The controlled unit may be robot unit.
In this control apparatus, such an approach is employed to detect signal from pocket telephone, etc. by input means to convert the detected signal into combined sounds caused to correspond thereto to output it to a robot unit which can be controlled by combined sound by sound output means.